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(No Model.)

T. OQANDRUSISB N. B. PRIOR. GOW'TAIL HOLDER.

No. 256,233 Patented Mar..21,1882;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS O. ANDRUS AND NAPOLEON B. PRIOR, OF NORTH VVOLCOIT, VT.

COW-TAIL HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,233, dated March21, 1882. Application filed December 21, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, THOMAS O. ANDRUS andNAPOLEON B. PRIOR, of North VVolcott, in the county of Lamoille, and inthe State of 5 Vermont, have invented certain new and use:

1o ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, makinga part otthis specification.

This invention relates to an improved device for supporting a eows tailduring the operation 15 ot' milking; and it has for its object toprovide a convenient means whereby, while the animal is allowed acertain amount of liberty to move her tail, it will be impossible toswitch it into the milk-pail, to upset the pail, or switch it in 20 theface of the milker, as more fullyhereinat'ter specified. These objectswe attain by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figurel representsa perspective view of our 25 device entire,showing the method of its use,

and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the device.

The letter A indicates a spring-hook consisting of a piece of elasticwire bent into a loop, B, midway between its two ends. The

0 lower portions of the device, as indicated in Fig. 2, are benthorizontally toward each other, and the ends are then bent intointerlocking rectangular books 0.

The letters D E indicate two wires or rods 5 connected by means of alink, F, which hooks into the eyes G G of the respective wires andconnects them loosely together. The lower end of the wire D is providedwith an eye, H,

by means of which the spring-hook may be secured to the lower wire orrod, D. The upper rod, E, is hooked, as indicated by the letter I, bymeansof which thedevice may be suspended overhead from a horizontal rod,K, which is secured to the vertical rods L.-

In using our improvement the members of the spring-hook are pressedapart and the cows tail at the hairy portion is inserted between therectangular interlocking hooks at the extremities of the member of thespring hook, by which it is clasped and held, as shown.

We are aware that it is not new broadly to make a cow-tail holder of anelastic wire or rod having a coil intermediate its ends, and do nottherefore claim such as our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

An improved device for holding andsupportingeowstails,consistingofthewirespringclamp A, bent into a loop,B, at its center, and provided with rectangular crossed interlockinghooks 0 at its lower ends, and the links D F E, connected as described,the latter having an open hook, I, adapted to slide on the horizontalrod K, supported by the rods L, for the purpose specified, all beingarranged as herein set-forth.

In testimony whereof we aftix our signaiures, in presence of twowitnesses, this 21st day of November, 1881.

THOMAS O. ANDRUS. NAPOLEON B. PRIOR.

Witnesses O. M. MAGOON, NORA A. ANDRUS.

